SÃO TOMÉ & PRINCIPE – Accession to the Geneva Act of Lisbon Agreements on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indicators

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) recently confirmed the deposit by the Democratic Republic of São Tomé & Principe on 2^nd August 2023 of the instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indicators.

The instrument was accompanied by various declarations, including:

• In accordance with Article 7(4) of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement, the Democratic Republic of São Tomé & Principe wishes to receive an individual fee to cover its costs of substantive examinations of international registrations; and
• In accordance with Article 29(4) of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe hereby declares to extend by one year the time limit referred to in Article 15(1) of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement, and the periods referred to in Article 17 of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement, in accordance with the procedures specified in the Common Regulations under the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.

In light of the depositing of the necessary instrument, the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indicators will become effective within São Tomé & Principe on 2^nd November 2023.

Source: TREATY/LISBON/58: [Lisbon Agreement] Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications | Accession by the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (wipo.int)